Retailers can apply location intelligence techniques and foot traffic analytics to understand consumer mobility patterns, measure foot traffic at each store, understand the performance of their outlets, and estimate competitor turnover.
The correlation between foot traffic visitation, sales, and the success of retail apparel franchises have been studied and proven, so the development of this type of analysis has become a priority in the site selection process and expansion modeling.
Location intelligence and POI characterization through Big Data are increasingly being used to make business decisions in the retail, real estate, logistics, and port sectors, among others.
Business intelligence and technology tools enable retail businesses to deeply analyze the behavior of their customers inside and outside their stores, in order to identify the ideal location for future expansion plans.
The data science models are the third phase of location and mobility intelligence analysis, helping retailers to assess the market potential of areas of interest for new store openings and identify optimal potential locations for expansion. These are divided into three steps:
Customer dwell time is an analysis that should be closely monitored to capitalize on the full potential of each point of sale, indicating greater customer satisfaction.
Estimating and improving the average customer dwell time inside physical stores is possible thanks to technological tools such as Big Data, location intelligence analysis and mobility data, which improve strategic decision making by helping to increase the time consumers spend inside stores, and increasing the sales conversion rate as well.
In the last week of May 2021, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Dominican Republic and Guatemala were the economies in which the number of people visiting establishments identified as supermarkets was considerably higher than the figures reported before the pandemic.
In the first five months of the year, and in the context of the reactivation of commercial activities, more Central American consumers have visited locations identified as supermarkets and pharmacies.
In the first week of April 2021, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Dominican Republic and Guatemala were the countries in the region where the number of people visiting establishments identified as supermarkets was higher than the figures reported before the pandemic.
Over the course of the months and in the context of the reactivation of commercial activities, more Central American consumers have visited locations identified as supermarkets and pharmacies.
Defining the design of a shopping center, determining the mix of store types and the optimal size of stores to maximize the benefits of commercial areas, are objectives that can be achieved through the proper analysis of large volumes of data.
The volumes of data being generated in the digital environment every second enables business leaders to make well-informed decisions that are based on the analysis of empirical evidence.
Determining if the highest possible profitability is being obtained at each point of sale and if the establishments with the greatest billing potential are being reached, is part of what can be solved with geomarketing solutions.
Through Big Data management techniques, it is possible to collect, validate and analyze large volumes of information for all types of points of sale, such as convenience stores or grocery stores that operate in Central American countries.
Whether it is a restaurant, a coffee shop, a hotel, a supermarket, or an auto parts store, location is, if not the most important, one of the most decisive factors in determining the success or failure of a business.
Real estate companies, restaurants and retail chains know better than anyone how valuable and decisive it is for the success of a business to find the best location. Technology, together with the new Big Data analysis methodologies, now allow to simplify part of this complex process of location selection, analyzing in detail the pedestrian flow in each location.
Understanding consumers' lifestyles, hobbies, ages and the places they go to, in order to attract a very specific sector of the population, is fundamental to reduce the risk in the investments made for the opening of new specialty stores.
For some years now, the retail sector has been undergoing a transformation, which has been driven by changes in consumer habits and the rise of e-commerce.
At the end of January 2021, Nicaragua and El Salvador were the only two countries in the region where the number of people visiting establishments identified as supermarkets was similar to the figures reported before the pandemic.
As the months have gone by and in the context of the reactivation of commercial activities, more Central American consumers have visited locations identified as supermarkets and pharmacies.
Following the implementation of the economic reopening process, in early November in some countries of the region the number of people visiting establishments identified as supermarkets was similar to the figures reported before the pandemic.
In mid-April 2020, the concentration of people in residential areas of cities reached its highest level, a situation explained by the mobility restrictions imposed by the covid-19 outbreak.
Greater preference for private brands, less use of cash and fewer purchases but in higher volumes, are some of the characteristics of current consumer behavior when it comes to demanding mass consumption products.
In this new business scenario, market research companies continue to focus on understanding the new consumption habits of people in all countries in the region.
One of the sales points of the AM PM convenience store chain in Costa Rica, is located in the surroundings of Parque La Sabana, it has a potential market of 254 thousand consumers 15 minutes away by car, and 24% of them are interested in fast food.
Using the Geomarketing solutions we have developed for our clients, CentralAmericaData's Trade Intelligence team analyzed the environment of some of the main locations of convenience stores operating in Central American countries. Below is an extract of the findings of the study.
Merging E-commerce models and face-to-face sales, through the implementation of apps that allow shopping in a physical store without going through the checkout line or selecting a fitting room from a cell phone, are the challenges for companies in the new reality.
In order to adjust to the new demands and challenges that arose from the covid-19 outbreak, at a global level companies are focused on understanding the trends that will predominate among consumers in the short and medium term.